It's the most wonderful time of the year, but things can get a little hectic, so Google Home has some new voice-controlled features to simplify your movie-streaming and music-listening experience.

Now, when paired with a Chromecast, Google Home will stream any Netflix-based movie or TV series you request. Just say "OK Google, play Love Actually," or "OK Google, play Stranger Things."

Learn how to link your Netflix account to the Google Assistant from the Home iOS and Android apps. Next time you're holding a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and collecting a Trivial Pursuit wedge with the other, simply deliver verbal commands, like "Pause this episode," without dropping a marshmallow.

"Serve up the holiday classics that make your season bright, hands-free, right to your TV," product manager Tomer Shekel wrote in a blog post.

Users can also get in the spirit of the season by requesting that Google Home play merry Hannukah or Christmas tunes—via Google Play Music, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Music—while sharing photos on a Chromecast-connected TV.

Related

Say "OK Google, show my photos of Lake Tahoe on my TV" to start a slideshow of vacation snapshots for everyone to "ooh" and "ahh" over. Can't remember the name of an album? Try searching by image: "OK Google, show my photos of selfies at Christmas," or "OK Google, show my photos of Brazil sunsets." Google Home even keeps tabs on Old St. Nick; kids can track their gifts by asking "OK Google, where's Santa right now?"

The desktop device debuted this fall for $129 (plus six-month YouTube Red membership); it is available in seven colors from Google, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Verizon.

About the Author

Stephanie began as a PCMag reporter in May 2012. She moved to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) w... See Full Bio

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